The Virginia State Capitol Building – the Most Visible Richmond Landmark

The Virginia State Capitol was not always centered on Richmond, VA but has been moved from several locations within the Commonwealth as times and needs dictated.  Today, the most visible landmark in Richmond if the majestic grandeur of the State Capitol Building, sitting atop Shockoe Hill, a dominating position which once overlooked the falls on the James River.

There have been seven other capitol locations in Virginia’s history, initially centered on Jamestown as the first successful colony, however as settlers and explorers moved inland to exploit the coastal plain and establish new townships and frontier posts, the center of government inevitably moved also.  It was not until 1780 that the Virginia legislature convened in Richmond, initially in a makeshift building at the bottom of Shockoe Hill.  Here plans were made, during the Revolutionary War, for a State Capitol to serve the new state, or in this case, the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Thomas Jefferson designed the building in partnership with Charles-Louis Clerriseau, a French architect.  The inspiration for the building was taken from Maison Carree in Nimes, France, a Roman temple which was much admired by Jefferson during his time as US Ambassador to France.  The building is built in a neoclassical style and was constructed without a dome, one of only a handful of State Capitol buildings not to have one, despite Jefferson’s predilection for them (Monticello, his home near Charlottesville and the University of Virginia are both known for their neoclassical style using domes).  The building was completed in 1788, and is now over 215 years old and is America’s oldest legislature of the colonists who eventually transformed the country into the United States. It also houses the only statue of George Washington made from him as a live model during his life – all others are replicated from images or memory.

The State Capitol Building was also the home of the Confederate Congress during the American Civil War, until it’s disbandment in 1865 with the victory of the Union armies.  The building once more reverted to its primary intended role as the State Capitol building of the Commonwealth of Virginia.  Orders were given to burn Richmond by the fleeing Confederates, however the State Capitol Building along with the Governor’s Residence were  only a few of the buildings that were spared.  President Lincoln himself, toured the Capitol Building a week before he was assassinated.

In 1870, tragedy struck when a crowded court hearing was taking place in a court room on the upper floor.  The weight of a packed courtroom caused the floor to give way and resulting in many deaths and injuries.   Despite calls for the demolition of the building, it was decided to save it and renovate the State Capitol Building, including the addition of two wings. Initially, the east and west wings were not included in the original Jeffersonian design, and it was not until 1904 that these were added with construction completed in 1906.  The east wing is known as the House Wing, and the west wing is known as the Senate Wing.

Today, the State Capitol Building has been renovated once more at a cost in excess of $100 million.  Free tours are provided daily though visitors may also enjoy the building on their own.  The building is open all work days and on numerous holidays and children are welcome.

Related articles

• Richmond Dairy (richmondlife.net)
• Jefferson Davis Monument (richmondlife.net)

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Short Pump – Richmond’s “Frontier”

When one thinks of the frontier, the first images that come to mind are cowboys and saloons, gunfights and gold prospectors.  While these are all amusing to imagine, you aren’t likely to find them in Short Pump.  Now considered the far West End of Richmond, this area has long served as the wild west of the more “civilized” city to the east.  Generally considered to be located at the intersections of Broad Street, Pouncey Tract Road and Three Chopt Road, it is only in the last decade that real industry and commerce have sprung to life in the rolling hills of Short Pump.

The village was named for an unusual water pump found under the porch of a tavern built in the area in the early 1800’s.  The structure is a believed to have been built facing Three Notched Road (Now Three Chopt), in western Henrico County, and remains a fixture in local legend.  The community is now a far cry from the dusty roadside stop it used to be.  Although historically the site doesn’t hold much significance, it has been visited by a few notables traveling from Richmond to western parts of Virginia, including Thomas Jefferson, Stonewall Jackson and the Marquis de Lafayette.

What started as a rural backwater has become one of the most heavily developed and prosperous communities in the Metro Richmond area.  Beginning in the early 1930’s, the only real landmarks to be found in Short Pump were a garage, a grocery store and a general store.  The 1990’s saw the first true burst of development when it was decided that Broad Street needed to be widened to accommodate the traffic brought in by a newly built Wal-Mart.  Sadly, this saw the end of several of the older businesses that had persevered over several decades as room had to be cleared for the expansion.

This was only the beginning of what would prove to be a startling surge of commerce for the area.  In 2003 Short Pump Town Center, a massive open-air shopping mail, opened, attracted records numbers of visitors to the site and paving the way for even more businesses – grocery stores, car dealerships, upscale restaurants, an expansive movie theater and a wide variety of others.  With the commerce came the people.  Short Pump is now home to some of the most well-to-do neighborhoods in the Richmond metro area.

Easy accessibility from I-64, Highway 288 and Broad Street have contributed to the growth of community, allowing for continued expansion and almost constant building.   The Innsbrook area, located just east of Short Pump, seems to have jump started the progress west.  As the Glen Allen area began to prosper, the need for growth demanded more available space and greater opportunities for commerce.  Largely disregarded in the past, Short Pump provided the area needed to meet those demands.  While an elaborate shopping mall, an expansive movie theater and fancy restaurants may not seem like the most fascinating of frontiers, the tremendous development of the area can rival that of any gold-mining town.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Twitter Spotlight: Trevor Dickerson (sociallyrichmond.com)
• Why We Love CMoR (Children’s Museum of Richmond) (richmondforkids.com)
• Beautiful Things are Always Blooming at Strange’s (richmondvabusiness.com)

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.

Jefferson Hotel Palm Court

Palm Court of the Jefferson Hotel at 101 West Franklin Street.

Get your Richmond business or service reviewed on RichmondVAPresents.com. Email us at marketing (at) richmondvapresents dot com
–
Contact Big Oak SEO, a Richmond SEO company, to help your website get found in Google’s search results.